Ratchet-wrench.



PATENTBD APR. 19, 1904.

RATGHBT WRENCH.

L APPLIOATION FILED JULY 22, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Winn@ s www Wznesses.

Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BRAUER, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

RATCHET-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,878, dated April 19, 1904.

Application filed July Z2, 1903.

T all whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE BRAUER, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, (whose post-oflice address is Box 496, Sacramento, California) have invented a certain new and useful Ratchet- VVrench; and I do hereby declare the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention refers to keys or wrenches with interchangeable sockets, in particular to that variety of wrenches that is operated in connection with a ratchet mechanism; and its object is to make these implements adapted to be used in tuning pianos and similar musical instruments. To attain this object, it has been found necessary to modify the exterior shape of the implement in conformity with the requirements'made for piano-,tuning keys and to modify the ratchet mechanism. so as to replace the skipping movement, which is of no advantage for the purpose of tuning, by a connection which is either rigid contact both ways or a free revolution in either direction. The tools ordinarily used in tuning pianos are, first, the so-called T-hammer,7 consisting of a straight shank or stud fixed in the middle of a short handle and having' a socket at its free end to engage the tuning-pin, and, second, the crank-shaped tuning-key, consisting of a short socket part and a long handle extending at right angles (or nearly so) to the former and admitting by reason of its long leverage of the exertion of greater power respectively reduction in thestrain of operatin it compared with the '1T-hammer.

The sockets of both styles of tuning-keys are either square or fiat rectangular, correspond ing to the two different styles of tuningpins used in pianos; but there is also a socket in the shape of an eight-cornered star used which is applicable to square-tipped tuningpins only and which has the advantage of admitting the placing of the key in eight-different positions, an advantage which greatly lessens the exertion of operating the tuningkey. It is for the express purpose of extending the advantage conveyed by this eight-cor- Serial No. 166,564. (No model.)

nered-star system to tuning keys with Hat rectangular sockets and also to supplement the star system itself by one less delicate and subject to wear that the present invention has been devised.

With these objects in View the invention forms in its exterior construction a combination of the two principal styles of tuning-keys referred to above, it being composed of'a handle such. as is generally used for T-hammers and having a transversal socket in the middle where shanks adapted to iitthe dierent styles of tuning-pins may be mounted, and having at the same time a longitudinal socket in one of its ends, where a crank-shaped tuning-bit may be 'mounted after removing the other, thereby converting the T hammer into a crank-shaped tuning-key. This crank-shaped tuning-bit should be preferably provided with an eight-cornered-star socket. Y

It is in the other modification of the implements-that is to say, in the T-hammer-that the ratchet mechanism has been made use of, the manner of application being shown in the drawings, in which like letters of reference have been employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 represents a partly-sectional side view of the handle with bit mounted and the ratchet mechanism in its normal position.

Fig. Qrepresents a horizontal section on the.

plane of line 2 2, Eig. 1, of the metallic core supporting the handle and showing ratchet in place. Fig. 3 represents a partial side view of the metallic head with bit and ratchet mounted and mechanism disengaged, and Eig. 4: represents a View of the crank-shaped moditication of the key.

Described in detail this invention consists of a handle A A, having a metallic support or core consisting of the head c and two arms c" and c2; aratchet-wheel c, engaging a hori- Zontal aperture in the head c and having an annular screw-threaded aperture concentric with a cylindrical aperture inl the head; exchangeable tuning-studs (l, having a cylindrical flange engaging the lower part of cylindrical aperture in the head and the bottom of the ratchet and having a right-handed screw nipple d', engaging screw threaded IOO aperture in the ratchet end; a le't't handed screw-ni pple di, oi' reduced diameter, projecting above the ratchet; a locking-mit iz, engaging the upper part of eylii'idrical apertiu'e in the head and having an interior lett-handed thread engaging lett-handed screw-tip d ot the stud and engaging also the top oi the ratchet; a spring-actuated dog or lock e, which is pivoted in a vertical slot of the arm ci, alining with teeth of the ratchet and having an upwardlyextending arm c', projecting from the top ot' the handle; the spring q, actuating the dog; a metallic ring or collar m, encircling the head a ot the core and having circular openings above and below to admit of the insertion ot the tuning-bit and lockingnut; two inortised wooden shells A and A/ inclosing the cylindrical arms ot the core and having stepped edges engaging the overlapping edges of the ring m, and the shell A', also having recesses to give room it'or the insertion and operation ot the dog e and spring q; two metal pins y7" and j", engaging openings in the shells and core. and f' serving also as a pivot for the dog c; two nuts w and o, engaging screw-threaded ends of the core,' the nut n having an annular opening alining with a screw-tlneadcd socket y) of corresponding size in the core, and finally a crank-shaped tuningbit (j, having a screw-threaded tip or nipple fr, adapted to engage screw-threaded socket y) ot' the core (1.', and a circular flange or shoulder a,

adapted to engage the nut n.

lhe operation ot' the device is as Afollows: In tuning pianos the key is grasped with one hand, While the other one is employed in striking the keys. The tuning-hammer is placed on the pin to be tuned. the dog c pulled toward the middle with the thumb. The handle which has been thereby unlocked is turned inthe most convenient position and locked again by releasing the dog, whereupon the tuning can proceed. A't'ter this pin or string has been tuned the key is placed on the next pin and adjusted in the same manner as before. Thus all inconvenient positions ot the hand and arm are avoided, with the result that not only a great deal oit time and drudgery are saved, but also the final result and artistic excellence o't' the work are greatly improved.

Should it be desired to use the other modification oi" the key, the shank in the middle must be removed and the one in the end attached.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a wrench the combination o't` a handle and a head, having a circular aperture therethrough, a ratchet located in said head and having an annular screw-threaded aperture therethrough concentric with the aperture in thehead, a socket-stud or socket-studs having a circular flange adapted to engage the aperture in the head and the bottom ot the ratchet and having a screw-thrczuled tip or nipple adapted to engage the aperture in the ratchet 'and an additional screw-nipple with letthanded thread g acylindrical locking-nut ada pted to engage the circular aperture in the head and the top ot' the ratchet and having an internal lett-handed screw-thread adapted to engage the lett-handed screw-nipple of the stud; a spring-actuated dog adapted to engage the ratchet and normally hold it in rigid contact with the handle and means to operate the d og to disengage it :from the ratchet, substantially as described.

2. 1n a wrench the con'ibination ot a bifurcated head having a circular aperture therethrough, a ratchet loosely mounted in said head having an annular screw-threaded aperture therethrough concentric with aperture in the head; a socket-stud or socket-studs having a circular flange adapted to engage the aperture in the head and the bottom ot' the ratchet and having a screw-threaded tip or nipple adapted to engage the alviertine in the ratchet and an additional screw-nipple with let'thanded th read a eylin d rical lock ing-nut adapted to engage the apertru'e in the head and the top of the ratchet and havingan internallefthanded screw-thread adapted to engage the left-handed screw-nipple ot' the stud, a springactuated dog adapted to engage the ratchet and normally hold it in rigid contact with the handle and having an upwardly-extending arm by which it may be operated to release the ratchet; a longitudinal socket in the handle and a crank-slniped socket-bit adapted to engage the same, substantiallyv as described.

3. The combination ot' a handle and a mortised head having a circular aperture therethrough, a ratchet located in the head having an annular screw -threaded aperture therethroiilgh concentric with the aperture in the head, a tool -stud having a circular llaiige adapted to engage the bottom et' the ratchet and the aperture in the head and having a screw-threzuled tip or nipple adapted toengage the aperture in the ratchet and an additionalscrew-tip ot lett-handed thread on top ol the l'irst, a cylindrical locking-nut adapted to engage the top of the ratchet, the lefthanded screw-ti p ot' the stud and the aperture in the head and suitable means to connect or disconnect the ratchet to or from the handle in the operation ot' the tool, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereotl have signed my name in the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. B lt A U if) R.

lkfitnesses:

E. A. BnANpAN, M. Rimane. 

